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Whad'ya know about Ampeg SVT-8 pro?

crguti

crguti

Feb 14, 2011
2,599
2,907
Scandinavia
#1
I've been trying to find information about this head but it seems to be a mystery amp which wasn't for a long time in production.
What i know is:
1) it was very expensive
2) Class D amp
3) it has an insane amount of power (1300w@4ohms)
4) some of them had QC issues regarding the transformer.

What else do you know? Will it be worth to get one?

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#4
I think they were 2500 watts @4 ohms also. I think(going from memory) this amp had the ability to overdrive the pre amp tubes independently of overall volume, so you could get an overdrive sound at any volume. Like you said expensive, and I also heard couple stories of reliability issues.
I never got to see one in person, and only know of one out in the wild and that was for sale here on TB maybe 8-10 months ago.
 
#8
@tombowlus, I've got 2 questions for you.
1) Is there any problem with the ventilation on the side? It seems that there will be very little room if you place this head in a skb rackcase.
2) how much is the perceived loudness compared to the SVT-7? i know it's 1300w@4ohms vs 1000w@4ohms, but.... is it really that much powerful? What about the clean headroom?
thanks.

Cheers
 
#9
crguti said:
@tombowlus, I've got 2 questions for you.
1) Is there any problem with the ventilation on the side? It seems that there will be very little room if you place this head in a skb rackcase.
2) how much is the perceived loudness compared to the SVT-7? i know it's 1300w@4ohms vs 1000w@4ohms, but.... is it really that much powerful? What about the clean headroom?
thanks.

Cheers
Click to expand...

1.) I had mine in a 2-space rack with very little space on the side for several years, and it never gave me any problems. Of course, I never put it through any torture test gigs, either.

2.) The 8Pro is quite obviously louder than the 7Pro and has more apparent headroom. They are tonally fairly different, as well, and the 8Pro allows you to dial in a much wider range of tube overdrive.

That all being said, the 7Pro delivers what I consider to be fairly classic "Ampeg tone" (along the lines of the 4Pro, more so than the SVT), and it hits plenty hard. Plus, it's a lot cheaper. So, unless you happen to luck into a great deal on an 8Pro in good condition, or unless you would really use the tube drive capabilities, the 7Pro would probably treat most people just fine.
 
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#16
Raw N Low said:
Just broke the piggy bank and bought one from GC today. Should hopefully ship out this week. I've been needing a new lightweight amp to replace my TCE RH750 for gigging. Hoping all goes well on this one.
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Congrats! You are gonna love it! :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :thumbsup:
 
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#17
tombowlus said:
Congrats! You are gonna love it! :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom. I was fighting with myself to make a decision on this amp. I purchased it for a steal of a price (well below what they normally go for) and it was listed in excellent condition. I'm a hunter of whatever rare Ampeg gear I can get my hands on but, I want to be practical and use this amp as well.

Your posts on the 8 pro helped reinforce my decision to purchase one. The price was so good, I was worried someone else would see the ad and purchase it before doing any further research. I don't know if this is the USA or Korean model until I get my hands on it. I going to run the amp at rather conservative volume levels and baby it based on the rarity.

If Yamaha and Ampeg re-visit this amp and bring it back, I will have no problem doubling down on another purchase. Ditto for the 6 pro.
 
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#18
Raw N Low said:
Thanks Tom. I was fighting with myself to make a decision on this amp. I purchased it for a steal of a price (well below what they normally go for) and it was listed in excellent condition. I'm a hunter of whatever rare Ampeg gear I can get my hands on but, I want to be practical and use this amp as well.

Your posts on the 8 pro helped reinforce my decision to purchase one. The price was so good, I was worried someone else would see the ad and purchase it before doing any further research. I don't know if this is the USA or Korean model until I get my hands on it. I going to run the amp at rather conservative volume levels and baby it based on the rarity.

If Yamaha and Ampeg re-visit this amp and bring it back, I will have no problem doubling down on another purchase. Ditto for the 6 pro.
Click to expand...

FWIW, we did informally bench test the 8Pro, and it easily exceeded its rated power. Also, it showed no signs of stress, even when pushed hard.

That being said, in actual live use, while standing in front of the rig, I've never pushed it anywhere near what it can do. It gets too loud before I can push it too hard! :bassist: :thumbsup:
 
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#19
tombowlus said:
FWIW, we did informally bench test the 8Pro, and it easily exceeded its rated power. Also, it showed no signs of stress, even when pushed hard.

That being said, in actual live use, while standing in front of the rig, I've never pushed it anywhere near what it can do. It gets too loud before I can push it too hard! :bassist: :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
An amp that came and went before my time. But I imagine even with an endorsement, it would be more money than I could drop.
 
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#20
JimmyM said:
An amp that came and went before my time. But I imagine even with an endorsement, it would be more money than I could drop.
Click to expand...

I've always have been curious about this amp. I can definitely say it was money I shouldn't have spent but, I wanted to have the experience of having this rig.

Probably not "1969 SVT" awesome but, still cool in its own rights. Having a V9, SVT-300, and 8 pro all in the same mix is a rarity in itself.
 
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